was considered statistically significant. For survival-type endpoints, we estimated survival distributions using Kaplan-Meier's method, with comparisons between treatment groups utilizing the log-rank test.
RESULTS
Of 119 pemphigus patients included in this study, 37 received rituximab with SST, and 82 received rituximab without SST. SST consisted of mycophenolate, methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclosporine, dapsone, sulfasalazine, 6-thioguanine, or intravenous immunoglobulin. Mean age (53.3 +/- 16.2 vs 52.1 +/- 15.5, P=0.710) and sex distribution (62.2% vs 59.8% female, P=0.842) did not differ between the SST and no-SST groups (Table 1). Pemphigus vulgaris was the most common diagnosis in both groups (67.6% vs 76.8%, P=0.268; Table 1). Prior to rituximab therapy, patients who received SST had a longer duration of disease (6.31 +/- 8.8 years vs 2.81 +/- 4.5 years, P=0.006). The average PDAI activity score for patients with and without SST was 15.3 +/- 16.6 and 16.7 +/- 14.2 (P=0.670), respectively, with no difference in disease severity per published disease severity classification scores (Table 1).7-9 There was no difference between prednisone dose at the time of rituximab treatment between patients on and off SST. Following rituximab therapy, there was no difference in time to remission (P=0.507; Figure 1A), time to prednisone dose of 10 mg or less (P=0.743; Figure 1B), time to cessation of prednisone therapy (P=0.289; Figure 1C), or time to relapse (P=0.430; Figure 1D). No significant difference was noted in the number of serious adverse events between groups.
